In Hulu's limited-series "We Were the Lucky Ones," the Polish Kurc family spends years seeking to reconnect after World War II. Before the Internet and cell phones, tracking each other was difficult. Georgia Hunter's non-fiction book of the same name recounts her family's history. Hunter found as a teen that her late-grandfather Eddy (renamed Addy) and his parents and siblings survived the Holocaust.
Logan Lerman, who plays Hunter's grandfather, believes his tale is similar. Addy escaped the conflict and settled in Brazil, while Lerman's family emigrated to China.
“My grandfather was a refugee with his family,” Lerman remarked. “He fled Germany in the late 1930s and went on a long journey like my character. He moved to Shanghai with his parents and sister because it was one of the countries allowing Jews immigration. Addy also traveled far as a refugee to find a country to accept them.
Hunter traced Kurc ancestry for years. Learning your family history is encouraged by “We Were the Lucky Ones”. Joey King, who plays youngest daughter Halina, says she and her grandma are “thick as thieves.” King says her heritage has “always been such an open conversation.”
There was no Holocaust education I can recall. We always talked about it at home. In Jewish families, there is no defining moment in school when they say, ‘And this is the Holocaust.’ I knew about it before school.” Not all Holocaust survivors want to share their stories.
“They had to go through such horror and such dark times,” said Michael Aloni, who plays Kurc sibling Mila's husband Selim. “Some did not speak about their experiences. Continuing their lives was their victory.”
According to historian and author Don M. Fox, many WWII combat veterans keep that part of their lives to themselves. Many of them left the war and carried on with their lives, especially if they didn't continue in the service.
Communication is key to information exchange, and the National WWII Museum employs AI to let visitors chat with soldier photos. Fox recommends asking Holocaust survivors and former military personnel open-ended inquiries.
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